Page 8- The Michigan Daily- Thursday, January 23, 1992
Preseason picks
Hogs and Posse have1 «-.
to
clash
in
Dome
too much for Bill1st
by Greg Richardson
With about five minutes left in the NFC Championship Game, the De-
troit Lions conceded defeat by putting in backup quarterback Andre Ware
to direct the offense. At this point the game was long over, and cornerback y "
Darrell Green put an exclamation point on the decisive victory with an in-
terception and return for touchdown.
This was very disheartening for me, because I am a big Lions fan. But I
was not surprised at the 41-10 score of this game. Folks, the Redskins are a.
great team. One of the best ever. And mark my words, they are not only k
better than the Bills, they're in a class by themselves. h
It starts with their offensive line. This line is not just any offensive
line. It's incredible. It's so good that it even has a nickname - the Hogs.
The Hogs are the main reason that the Redskins will win Super Bowl
XXVI. 1
I'm not sure exactly why it's so good. Size? Sure. But every NFL offen-
sive line has tremendous size. It probably has more to do with their experi-
ence together as a unit, their intelligence, and - just as importantly -f
their talent. Only the Chicago Bears have a line which has worked together -'
as long as the Hogs. As far as pass protection goes, this group may be the .
best ever. Mark Rypien, who is not exactly Randall Cunningham when it .
comes to mobility, always seems to have time to read the paper, eat a sand-k
wich, and take a short nap whenever he drops back to throw.
The Bills say their defense will be ready for this game. Not. With a
healthy Bruce Smith they might have a shot. But even if he plays well, and
even if Cornelius Bennett has a monster game, the Hogs have too much beef.
The only hope the Bills have is if they blitz Bennett and outside
linebacker Darrell Talley successfully. If they don't get to Rypien - and
they probably won't even get within shouting distance of him, let alone
sack him - the Bills could get blown out.
Given the time that Rypien is likely to have, he will eat the Bills' sec-
ondary alive. Granted, left cornerback Kirby Jackson is playing very well.
But he can't stop the Redskins' trio of wideouts (affectionately known as
the Posse) alone. Look for a Rypien to Gary Clark bomb for a touchdown
sometime in the first half. Somehow, the 'Skins always pull off this hook-
up.
But wait, you Bills fans say. What about our offense? What about Jimbo
Kelly? What about Thurman Thomas? What about Andre Reed?
Sorry, Bills fans, but even though this game will be played indoors and
on artificial turf, the Bills will have a difficult time scoring. The Red-
skins' defense, though not quite as good as its offense, is still too good for 1
the Bills.--
Though the Bills have the potential to put up a ton of points, it has been
proven that if they go up against a tough defense like the Broncos, they run AP PHOT
into trouble. After all, the Bills offense could only muster three points Marv Levy denied trade rumors about the Bills' standout but injured
against the Broncos, and that was at home. And the Redskins have a better defensive end, Bruce Smith. Levy hopes to guide the Buffalo Bills to a
defense than the Broncos. Super Bowl victory January 26 over the Washington Redskins. As of now,
One word comes to mind if you're a Bills fan: Uh-oh. the Redskins are favored by a touchdown.
1992 MICHIGAN FOOTBALL RECRUITS
These are the high school football recruits who have verbally committed to Michigan as of Jan.
23. Verbal commitments aren't binding. The official signing date is Feb. 5.
Thomas will rise to
the occasion Sunday
by Chad Safran
Daily Sports Writer
For only the second time in its history, the Super Bowl will be played
in a cold weather climate. The first was ten years ago in Super Bowl XVI,10
when San Fransisco defeated Cincinnati in the Silverdome 26-21. This time,
the Washington Redskins will take on the Buffalo Bills, who are making
their second consecutive appearance in football's biggest (and often times
most boring) game in Minneapolis' Metrodome. Sure, the 'Skins are fa-
vored by a touchdown, but so were the Bills last year and we know what
happened in that game. Ask Scott Norwood, if you don't remember. The re-
sult in this year's battle will be much different for the men from Buffalo.
Buffalo is famous for several things. Former President Millard Fil-
more is a city native. Hot wings are a creation of this fine city on Lake Erie,
thus the term Buffalo wings. O.J. Simpson ran all over and past opponents
in old War Memorial Stadium. And soon it will be home of the Super
Bowl Champions. Let's take a look at why Rich Stadium will house foot-
ball's world champions next season.
THURMANATOR 2: He's baaaack! He is angry. And his season will not
be complete until he gets the Vince Lombardi Trophy in his hands. It's
going to be "Hasta la vista, Redskins!" Face it Lions fans who think Barry
Sanders is the greatest and those partial to Emmit Smith of Dallas, there is
no better running back in the game than Buffalo's Thurman Thomas. After
all, he has led the NFL in all-purpose yards for three consecutive seasons.
He can do it all: run with grace or power, catch the ball as a receiver down-
field or out of the one-back set and help give quarterback Jim Kelly more
time with his blocking ability. He had a big game in last year's match-up
against a New York Giants' defense that was far better than the one the
Redskins put on the field. It will not be any different for Thurman in this
year's game.
SURF AND TURF: The game is being played indoors this year giving
the Bills a large advantage-perfect weather. Neither snow, nor rain, nor
wind will effect Buffalo's no huddle-offense, which led the NFL in
touchdowns (58) and passing TDs (39) and ranked number one overall,
inside the 72 degree atmosphere of the Metrodome. Buffalo will have to
mix up its pass and run plays. But that is no problem with the personnel on
this roster.
Kelly will be able to utilize the downfield speed of his receivers. Four-
teen-year veteran James Lofton, who at 35-years-old still beats the best de-
fensive backs, provides a potent deep threat. The quiet but dangerously fast
Don Bebe will provide ample assistance over the middle, as will the AFC's
top pass catcher and four-time Pro Bowler Andre Reed. Of course, Mr.
Thomas is always an option. Speed kills on turf, and the Bills possess it on
both sides of the line of scrimmage. Watch out, Darrell Green.
STAMPEDING HERD: The Bills defense, which ranked in the lower
half of the NFL, including 27th against the run has proven that it can play
under pressure. They limited the Kansas City Chiefs, one of the league's top
five rushing teams, to less than 100 yards on the ground and have allowed
21 points in the postseason. The leader of this charge has been linebacker ex-
traordinaire Cornelius Bennett He will run over you to get at the ball. If
only a single tackle is blocking Bennett on the pass rush, Joe Gibbs better
get the backup quarterback warmed-up, because his 4.7 speed in the 40-yard
dash allows him to to get into the backfield quickly.
Then there is this other guy on the defensive line named Smith, Bruce
Smith. He has been hurt most of the season and his injured knee may still
hurt. He may only be able to bull-rush the QB, but when game time arrives,
I would rather have Smith at 75% than any other defensive end, except for
Reggie White. Just his presence on the field makes the Bills a different
team. Washington quarterback Mark Rypien better watch where he is
throwing because his receiving posse is about to be gunned down by one of
the most underrated defensive backfields in the NFL.
SWEET EMOTION: The Bills lost by just a point last year in one of the
most exciting Super Bowls ever played. They remember this. This season
will be a disappointment if they don't win it all, according to their players
and coaches. Scott Norwood remembers. Jim Kelly remembers. Head coach
Marv Levy remembers. They will make the Redskins want to forget. Look
for Thomas to capture MVP honors with a game that tops last years per-
formance. Bills 27, Redskins 21!
Ferreira halts McEnroe
streak in quarterfinals
Player
Ht.
Wt.
P
High School
Deollo Anderson
6'1"
Jon Runyan
Mike Vanderbeek
Eric Boykin
Kerwin Waldroup
Jarrett Irons
Remy Hamilton
Woodrow Hankins
190
270
215
205
255
215
DB
OL-DL
LB
QB
DL
LB
PK
RB
DB
LB
SE
TB
OL-DL
DL
Youngstown Ursuline, Ohio
Flint Carman-Ainsworth, Mich.
Hudsonville, Mich.
Dayton Meadowdale, Ohio
Chicago Rich Central
Conroe McCullough, Texas
Boca Raton Spanish River, Fla.
Owasso, Okla.
Palm Beach Gardens, Fla.
Patterson Kennedy, N.J.
Houston Washington, Texas
Detroit DePorres
Muskegon Catholic Central, Mich.
Waukesha Memorial, Wis.
5,9"
Steve King
Shawn Collins
Mercury Hayes
Charles Winters
S '11"
5'11"
180
180
205
180
190
265
255
Mark Bolach
MELBOURNE, Australia (AP)
- Dead balls, dead air and dead legs
wiped John McEnroe out of the
Australian Open just as surelyas
did the brute serving power and
nearly flawless play of young,
freckle-faced Wayne Ferreira.
He didn't rage at linesmen or
throw his racket as he did two years
ago. McEnroe succumbed quietly,
almost too quietly, 6-4, 6-4, 6-4
Wednesday night in a sheer blud-
geoning by a South African player
he'd barely heard of. Ferreira intro-
duced himself to McEnroe by swat-
ting 15 aces to McEnroe's two, and
putting away 30 clean winners to
McEnroes six.
"The bottom line," McEnroe
said, "is he just outplayed me."
In the warm, damp and still air
of the stadium, with the retractable
roof closed for the first time this
year because of rain prior to the0
match, the balls moved heavily and
sat up perfectly for Ferreira to blast
away from the baseline while negat-
ing McEnroe's chip and charge tac-
tics.
"The ball just didn't seem to
have quite the same zip as it would
have in a drier atmosphere," said
McEnroe, 32. "It just got stale, and
it just wasn't moving quite as
quickly."
Jamie Vanderveldt
I..................
*j - - - - U m
A CAREER CHOICE THAT
KEEPS GETTING BETTER
A bold, new challenge in nursing awaits you in the Navy
Nurse Corps. It's an exciting, different way of life.
Come join us at the
PROFESSIONAL OPPORTUNITIES DAY
and discover the excellent
benefits and exciting
opportunities available in
the U.S. Navy Nurse Corps
from:
ENS Meggan Ebert NC USNR
(U of M class of 1991)
when:
January 24th 1992
10:00 am - 3:00 pm
THETA XI FRATERNITY
Membership: 75
Location: 1345 Washtenaw-currently occupied by Sigma
Kappa Sorority. Our lease reactivates August 1992.
Ready for occupation for Fall term, 1992.
Activites: *Ful Social Calendar
*Strong IM Teams
*Greek week
eSpring Formal
ePhilanthropy Events
eBrotherhood Events
Rush: Stalts January 26 from 12:00-6:00,
January 27-January 30 from 7:00-10:00
Rush will be held at
ftuc i%"kc' Tauorn ,2n. .........e...
0"